Mansfield District Council has become one of only three authorities in the East Midlands to be officially recognised for an ongoing commitment to the learning and development of its councillors.

The authority originally achieved the East Midlands Regional Member Development Charter Status in November 2010 and a re-accreditation in 2013. It has now achieved its third re-accreditation.

Among the areas the charter award highlighted at Mansfield was the council’s induction programme, which helped newer members understand their roles and become effective more quickly. It also commended learning and development initiatives to enable elected members to:

Understand the bigger picture (not just in relation to their ward councillor role) but as ambassadors for the whole of the district;
Better understand the decision making process which brings about a smoother operation of the authority;
Have the skills and confidence when engaging with the media;
Communicate information to the community better;
Use IPads to reduce the need for printed materials and manage their ward work more beneficially;
Chair committees and lead more effectively.

Mayor Kate Allsop, democratic services manager Mark Pemberton and democratic services officer Julie Grainger received the award on behalf of the council at the full East Midlands Councils’ meeting at Nottinghamshire County Council.

Mayor Allsop said: “Being a councillor is a responsible and often complex job so it is vitally important that members are given the chance to develop their skills to enable them to fulfil their roles to the best of their ability.

“This charter re-accreditation demonstrates the council’s commitment to ensuring that elected members have the opportunity to brush up on or learn the skills needed for the job. Mansfield is one of the few councils in the country committing to this standard.”